This invention relates to pickup truck bed front walls. More particularly, this invention relates to a cargo tie down attachment method adapted for straightening and reinforcing such walls.
Pickup trucks are commonly used to transport heavy articles, such as refrigerators and lawn tractors. Where a pickup truck is used to transport an article such as, a refrigerator, the article is typically located at the forward end of the truck bed, against the front wall of the bed. Such placement of the exemplary refrigerator assures that upon braking, the refrigerator will not slide forwardly, undesirably impacting against the pickup truck""s cab.
A common pickup truck, upon accelerating, braking, or turning, is capable of imposing up to 0.92 laterally directed xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d forces upon cargo secured in its truck bed. Where a 600 pound refrigerator is well secured against the forward bed wall of a pickup truck, such wall must withstand approximately 552 pounds of pressure exerted by the refrigerator upon maximum forward braking. Upon maximum rearward braking, where such refrigerator is secured by a loading strap, the strap mounts must each resist approximately 225 pounds of pulling force.
Insecure loading resulting from loose or omitted loading straps tends to magnify the forces which are applied to pickup truck bed and front walls. For example, upon maximum forward braking, and upon insecure loading of the exemplary 600 pound refrigerator, such refrigerator may slide forwardly over the truck bed, reaching a speed of at least 1 m.p.h. with respect to the bed. Such moderate sliding motion results in an additional 1.6 xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d forces applied to the bed front wall upon impact. Thus, upon insecure loading of such exemplary refrigerator, the front wall of the pickup truck bed may be required to withstand approximately 1,500 pounds of force.
Common pickup truck bed front walls are composed of sheet steel having a thickness between {fraction (3/32)}xe2x80x3 and xe2x85x9xe2x80x3. The upper edge of such front walls are typically formed into a xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d channel or rolled cornice. Such common pickup truck bed front walls are incapable of withstanding lateral forces such as are described above without undergoing undesirable deformation or bowing. As a result of the inability of such common pickup truck bed front walls to withstand such forces, pickup trucks commonly have an undesirably forwardly bowed front bed walls, and are in need of repair. Also, due to the thinness of the sheet metal utilized in such common pickup truck bed front walls, such walls provide an insecure mounting surface for attachment of mounting cleats or tie down mounting plates.
The instant inventive apparatus and method solves or ameliorates the above undesirable traits of pickup truck bed front walls by providing a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam reinforcing member which is capable as dually serving as a bed wall straightening tool.
A major component of the apparatus of the instant inventive apparatus and method comprises a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam having a forward bed wall drawing flange, a rear flange, and having a web spanning between upper ends of the bed wall drawing flange and the rear flange. Preferably, the lateral width of the web is fitted so that it may co-extensively overlie the lateral dimension of the cornice of a common pickup truck bed front wall. Preferably, the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam is composed of shear formed sheet steel having a thickness between xe2x85x9xe2x80x3 and {fraction (3/16)}xe2x80x3. Preferably, the rear flange extends downwardly from the web between 1xc2xexe2x80x3 and 2xe2x80x3, and preferably the bed wall drawing flange extends downwardly a lesser distance between 1xe2x80x3 and 1xc2xdxe2x80x3. Preferably, the lower edge of the bed wall drawing flange is outwardly rolled or chamfered. The web of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam is necessarily apertured for receipt of fasteners such as common spirally threaded machine screws, spirally threaded sheet metal screws, or spirally threaded bolts. Preferably, the apertures within the web are centered along the web""s longitudinal midline, and the apertures are preferably evenly spaced at one foot to eighteen inch intervals. The upper openings of such apertures are preferably chamfered or coffered, allowing enlarged heads of such screws or bolts to recess downwardly. Recessing the fastener heads eliminates protrusions and facilitates flush mounting of articles such as camper shells upon the upper surface of the web.
The apparatus of the instant invention preferably further comprises left and right load strap fastening means, preferably in the form of xe2x80x9cDxe2x80x9d rings, xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d rings, xe2x80x9cTxe2x80x9d hooks, xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d hooks, or cleats. Means for mounting such load strap fastening means upon the rear flange of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam are necessarily provided. While heat fusion welds may be suitably utilized, the mounting means preferably comprise left and right mounting plates adapted for fixedly and pivotally attaching the load strap mounting means. Preferably, both the left and the right mounting plates and the rear flange of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam are apertured for receipt of fasteners such as spirally threaded bolts, spirally threaded machine screws, spirally threaded sheet metal screws, or rivets.
The apparatus of the instant invention is preferably installed upon an exemplary forwardly bowed pickup truck bed front wall by placing the left end of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam over the left end of the cornice of the bed wall. A power drill is then utilized to drill a sheet metal screw receiving pilot hole through the left end of the cornice, at a position underlying the left most aperture of the web of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam. Alternately the pilot holes may be punched. Thereafter, a preferred sheet metal screw is driven through said apertures, fixing the left end of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam in place over the left end of the cornice. Upon such installation of the left end of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam over the left end of the cornice, the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam is oriented tangentially with respect to the bowed arch of the pickup truck bed wall. Thereafter, a rearward pulling force may be applied to the right end of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam, while a downward pushing force is applied to the left end of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam at a point near the next successive aperture within the web of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam. Such simultaneous application of forces causes the bow drawing flange of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam to pull the cornice rearwardly into the channel of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam, effectively straightening the cornice along a line between the first and second apertures of the web. Thereafter, a second preferred sheet metal screw is installed within such next successive aperture in the manner described above.
By repeating the above steps for each screw receiving aperture along the web of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam, the entire cornice of the pickup truck bed front wall is drawn into the straight channel of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam, effectively straightening the formerly bowed cornice. The above straightening process may alternately be executed following a right to left progression. In order to straighten slight bows within a pickup truck bed""s front wall, levering pulling forces are not necessarily applied to the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam. Straightening of slight bows may be accomplished solely by means of turning of sheet metal screws.
Upon straightening a pickup truck bed front wall through use of the apparatus and method of the instant invention, the cornice of such wall is substantially reinforced against subsequent impacts and pressure from shifting loads. The apparatus further reinforces the front bed wall by providing securely attached load tie-down means.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for reinforcing and straightening a pickup truck bed wall which utilizes a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d channel beam which dually functions as bed wall straightening means, and bed wall reinforcing means.